Intermediate Wheatgrass
Suited for hay and pasture; best adapted with good moisture and drainage; winter hardy, fairly drought tolerant (in drier areas - with ~380 mm ppt/yr - IWG yeilds more than smooth brome. A short-lived perennial (5-6 years). (from my Forage lab notes at the U of Alta)
"In the prairie area it has demonstrated its ability to maintain stands where smooth brome of creeping red fescue do well. IWG has a deep feeding root system, as well as an extensive, creeping rootstocks that form a tough sod...It makes very palatable pasture in all seasons of the year. It has some curing properties and usually makes a fall growth that is sought by livestock. By itself, or in alfalfa mixtures, it produces good yeilds of high-quality, palatable hay. Seed crops are not heavy, 200 to 300 kg/ha; but the tall stems and large, firm seeds make harvesting with combines relatively easy. Seed is available from most seed houses. Its protein content is about 19% during early growth and drops to 13% at maturity.
"Intermediate wheatgrass can probably be useful for pasture and hay in all districts through the prairie area where annual precipitation exceeds 400 mm, or where the precipitation-to-evaporation ratio is about one. At present it is not recommende for the dry central area, except for hay under irrigation."
(From 111 Range and Forage Plants of the Canadian Prairies, J. Looman; published by Agriculture Canada)
